Schools must observe drug abuse day'

New Delhi: The Delhi government has directed schools in the national capital to observe June 26 as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

"The United nations General Assembly passed a resolution in December 1987 proclaiming June 26 of each year as the “International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking”. The city schools must organise various activities to mark the day," the directorate of education (DoE) stated in a communication to all government schools.

The awareness programmes in schools suggested by the DoE include public meetings among target groups vulnerable to drug abuse and HIV (street children, jail inmates, truck drivers, slum dwellers), seminars on drug abuse and trafficking, workshops to evolve new coordinated strategies for supply reduction and demand reduction by various enforcement agencies and NGOs, exhibition on drug abuse, display and distribution of banners, posters and pamphlets.

“Some of the activities to be held on June 26 may continue for a fortnight as many schools remain closed on the date due to summer vacation," it added.

Ten years ago a survey was conducted in the country that revealed that there were around seven lakhs drug addicts in the country with more than one lakh in the metropolitan cities of Mumbai, Delhi and Pune.

Since then the Central government has introduced stringent rules to curb the menace of drug abuse and trafficking. The NGOs such as Narcotic Anonymous provides counseling and treatment to several drugs abusers and restore their shattered lives.

In addition to these, several organisations are actively collaborating with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to prepare international standards and measures to eradicate substance abuse.